Can You Hear Me?
by shilbs
Summary: Three Hokages, three times, one boy, one hero. Songfic based off Can You Hear Me by Mark Schultz.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, this was sort of an inspiration story for me. I looked at this song about five months ago, and loved it instantly. But, it was only about one week before I began writing this that I found out it would make a great songfic song for Naruto, for it accurately describes how many could have felt for him.**

**I wouldn't call this a traditional SongFic, but I turned the Lyrics into actual words said, and made the story continue in a fluid sense.**

Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or the Song Can you Hear Me by Mark Schultz**

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_Flashback... Night of the Kyuubi Attack/ Birth of Naruto Namikaze Uzumaki  
_

Chaos reigns through Konoha, for the Kyuubi has attacked, and only two people, father and son, can save the village. The father, Minato Namikaze, Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, knows what he must do. He hates himself for it, that he must sacrifice his own son for the sake of the village. But he knows that it must be done, for how could he ask another family to do the same. Out of grief, he does the one thing that he can do. He prays. In his own private talk with God, he tries to find the small bit of comfort for the future.

He simply says," I have never been on my knees before, but I'm on my knees tonight. I've never prayed before either, so I'm not that good at it either, but I'm really hoping that this prayer will turn out just right."

He pauses, thinking of where to go now.

After finding the right words, he continues," You see, my boy has just been born, but I'm about to put the fate of an entire village entirely on him. I feel that he really needs your help. I've done just about all that I can do myself. I've given Sarutobi and the village their orders, and only have one last thing to do."

Once again he pauses, because he lost his train of thought. He immediately thinks of his wife, and is heartbroken.

He says, more passively, and yet with more conviction," Well, as you can imagine, his mother is very tired. I'm not quite sure that you can understand exactly, but you know what she went through." A tear wells up in his eye, as he thinks back to his wife. "When he was their sleeping, after being born, she could only hold his hand once. She tried not to cry so hard, but sadness overcame her as she left this world."

He was now openly crying, tears falling on his desk, wetting the unsorted paperwork and notes littering the desk enough that someone could tell that he had cried. Just as he began to calm down, a man with spiky silver hair and a headband covering his eye came in, saying:" All of the preparations are ready, only you are needed now." A certain Kakashi said to his former sensei.

Minato could only say in response," Come, let's finish this."

* * *

_Flashback... October 10th, 5 years AK_

"Can you hear me Tsunade?" asked an old man, wearing the robes of the Kage.

"Yeah, I hear you old man." replied the female sannin.

The Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi, only shook his head, countering," No, am I actually going to get through to you tonight, or do I just wait until tomorrow when you're sober."

"Oh hahaha old man, now what did you call me at midnight for anyway?"

Suddenly changing his tone, Sarutobi motions over to the viewing crystal, and says," Can you see the boy in here. Don't answer that quite yet, but I want you to make him feel better. He is the one who contains the Kyuubi, and the villagers can't see past that. They feel that he is the Kyuubi, the reason that they lost their hero. The can't see that he is their hero, every day that he lives. If this is actually getting through to you, past your prejudices toward the demon, I truly want you to take care of him."

Tsunade had heard enough after hearing he was the Kyuubi brat, but paused at the door to see if the Hokage had anything she had to hear, only to see him crying. Only one other time had she seen her sensei crying, and it was at the funeral of a good friend of her's, and hero of the villages. Only at the funeral of the Yondaime Hokage had she seen her former sensei cry.

He continues talking, only in a sadder tone," I only wish that I could take his place, just so he could be considered normal for a change. For you see, that boy is not just anyone. He's the son of my good friend, Minato."

Tsunade could only do one thing in her mind, and that was to flee the village, never to return to the village of her origins for treating to the son of a Kage like he was nothing but trash.

But the troubled old man continued, if only at his desk, praying to God.

"You know God, sometimes late at night I watch him sleep. It's when he's most peaceful, and when peace finds him. I like to think of the boy that he could have been, had the Kyuubi not been sealed in him. I've tried to be strong, and see that he is taken care of without showing it to the rest of the village. If I did, then it would be a revolt, one of which I may not be able to quell. I'm just saying, that in this time, who he needs now is you most of all."

The professor continues, with more conviction," Please let him grow old. I want him to make it through childhood, so he can know that not all hate him like he thinks. He has grown without compassion, and I hope that he grows without fear of what his own village will do to him. I often wonder what I would be if he wasn't here. He must be so tired, because he's sleeping so soundly, and yet so scared, for he still tosses and turns in sleep. Just please let him know that you are their in his life, and keep him safe."

With nothing more to say, Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage retires to his quarters.

* * *

_Flashback... Night of Naruto's Exile Post Rescue Sasuke Mission_

Parties are being thrown everywhere, and bars are open until late in the night, giving week-long happy hours celebrating the exile of the Kyuubi-Brat.

But one noise comes above all the other noises. Not of a partying nature either, but just a monotone siren going off. All citizens of Konohagakure no Sato, both shinobi and civilian, were being called for a speech of some sort. Most thought the Fifth Hokage would give a congratulations, but others knew better than that.

As the Hokage, Tsunade, came out onto the balcony, she began simply," Can you hear me Konoha?"

A few incredulous members of the audience asked what she meant by that, only to be yelled at,"CAN YOU HEAR ME!"

...

After a minute of silence, Tsunade continued in her original tone," Am I finally going to be able to get the message through to you guys tonight, or will this just be another lost cause. The council have banished, in my eyes, a hero to each and every one of you standing here today." She paused, only to find that she held a captive audience, no one willing to break the reflective silence.

"Can you see him as I see him now, or must I continue to berate you with tales of all Naruto, the true hero of Konoha has done for you. He, every day of his life, has protected you from what you thought he was. He is the jailer of the Fox, not the Fox itself. They are two separate entities, and are two separate minds. But now none of you can make him feel better. Do you want to know why, because you have just banished him. The Sandaime Hokage wished that he could take his place somehow, and now as do I, for I feel that I would never want to be apart of a village who shuns their hero's, and worships traitors. You see he was not just any regular orphan of the Kyuubi attack, chosen to bear the burden of the beast. HE WAS THE SON OF THE YONDAIME!"

The silence was defening

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In the hearts of those who truly scorned him, who hated Naruto's very existance, a faint voice, similar to memory of their late Hokage could be heard in the silence.

Can You hear me?  
Can You see him?  
Please don't leave him  
He's my son

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**And their is the Story**

**Please Review or do whatever**

**Second Chapter is Just the Words to Can You Hear Me by Mark Schultz, which this fic is based off of.**

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	2. Chapter 2

Mark Schultz

He's My Son

I'm down on my knees again tonight  
I'm hoping this prayer will turn out right  
See there is a boy that needs Your help  
I've done all that I can do myself  
His mother is tired  
I'm sure You can understnad  
Each night as he sleeps  
She goes in to hold his hand  
And she tries not to cry  
As the tears fill her eyes

Can You hear me?  
Am I getting through tonight?  
Can You see him?  
Can You make him feel all right?  
If You can hear me  
Let me take his place somehow  
See, he's not just anyone  
He's my son

Sometimes late at night I watch him sleep  
I dream of the boy he'd like to be  
I try to be strong and see him through  
But God who he needs right now is You  
Let him grow old  
Live life without this fear  
What would I be  
Living without him here  
He's so tired and he's scared  
Let him know that You're there

Can You hear me?  
Am I getting through tonight?  
Can You see him?  
Can You make him feel all right?  
If You can hear me  
Let me take his place somehow  
See, he's not just anyone  
He's my son

Can You hear me?  
Am I getting through tonight?  
Can You see him?  
Can You make him feel all right?  
If You can hear me  
Let me take his place somehow  
See, he's not just anyone  
He's my son

Can You hear me?  
Can You see him?  
Please don't leave him  
He's my son


End file.
